Lens for flashlights and the like



June 8, 1954 c, $M|TH 2,680,844

' LENS FOR FLASHLIGHTS AND THE LIKE Filed May 4, 1949 ELAYTUN HEM/TH ATTOPNEYS Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to lenses for electric lamps and moreparticularly to lenses for flashlights, with special reference toflashlamps employed for traflic control or signalling purposes.

In the prior U. S. Patent No. 2,340,530 dated February 1, 1944, there isdisclosed a traffic control flashlight having a combined glow and beamemitting elongated rod form of lens which is colored red along itsexterior surface and adjustably screwed at its one end onto a metalsleeve adapted to be secured within the lamp bulb supporting andreflector housing end of the flashlight casing. This known flashlightlens is specially designed to give a red glow along the surface of theelongated rod lens and a concentrated beam at the outer end of the rodby passage of the light rays longitudinally along the rod, which is madefrom a highly transparent plastic material.

In contra-distinction to this known rod form of glow and beam emittinglens the present invention provides a lens which comprises a baseportion disposed in bordering relationship to a combined glow and beamemitting rod whereby light transmitted from the latter is bounded bylight transmitted from said base portion, with considerable and highlyadvantageous effect compared with the simple rod form of lens, renderingthe lens admirably suited for use on electric lamps or flashlights fortraflic control or signalling purposes, for example, by pointing thelens at the desired objective, while retaining the full glow rod effectwhen the lamp or flashlight, with the lens attached thereto is wavedlike a baton.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved formof lamp or flashlight lens combining a glow rod and beam action, withthe beam action considerably improved by light transmitted through abordering light transmitting lens portion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination glow rod andbeam directing lens with the glow colored by a base portion of the lensrendering the lens suitable for use on an electric lamp or flashlightfor trafllc signalling or control purposes.

The above and further objects and advantages of the invention willappear clearer from a consideration of the following description withreference to the drawings and from the annexed claim:

In the drawings:

Figure I is a perspective side elevational view of a lens constructionin accordance with the invention, and

Figure II is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the lens of Figure Iin operative position in a typical flashlight casing and bulb-reflectorassembly.

Referring to the drawings; my improved lens is shown constituted by abase 10 and an elongated rod l2, both of solid construction and formedfrom a light transmitting material, with the rod I2 at least, formedfrom a highly transparent plastic material along which light rays arecapable of being freely transmitted in the form of a rod of light asknown in the art appertaining to plastic rod lighting. Conveniently, thebase is also formed from the same material as the rod, with bothseparately formed and adhesively united with one another with anysuitable and well known transparent cement or plasticizer.

The rod I2 is formed to have a glow characteristic by its exteriorsurface being rendered dull, as by sandblasting. But the base [0 and theremainder of the rod, including its ends, are left in their cleartransparent condition.

The base It projects beyond the confines of the adjacent rod end andpresent an annulus, as shown, through which an area of light is capableof being transmitted in encompassing relationship to the lighttransmitted by the rod.

To adopt the lens for traflic control or signalling purposes the base [0is rendered in a distinctive color, such as red or green, with the rod.including its exterior dulled surface, left in its natural substantiallywhite color.

The base l0 may be made to fit into the bulb end of a conventionalflashlight casing I 4 in place of the usual lens glass disc and beretained in position by the usual screwed casing collar IS with the rodl2 projecting outwardly from the front of the casing, as shown in FigureII. Alternatively, provision could well be made for aflfixing myimproved lens against the outer surface of the usual flashlight casinglens. This would involve the use of some amxing or attachment device,such as forms no part of my present invention and needs no descriptionherein.

When secured upon a flashlight casing the base lens I0 is located withinthe area of the light reflector I8 so that light from the lamp 20 isfreely transmitted along the rod [2 as well as through the surroundingbase I 0.

With the base colored red, for example, and the rod left in its naturalsubstantially white color the lens assembly, when mounted upon a lampcasing as shown in Figure II will, with the lamp bulb 20 illuminated,give a distinctive red colored glow along its length while at the samefollows:

A signalling and light emitting lens adapted to be fitted into the bulbend of a conventional flash light casing said lens comprising anelongated glow rod portion adapted to glow along its exterior surfaceand to project a light beam from its outer end, said glow rod beingformed from a highly transparent plastic material permitting the lightrays to pass longitudinally therethrough but having its exterior surfacerendered dull, a base lens portion of light transmitting material, saidglow rod portion abutting at its inner end with said. base lens portion,said base lens portion radially extending beyond the exterior surface ofsaid glow rod in the form of a radial annular flange, through whichlight rays are capable of being transmitted in encompassing relationshipto the light transmitted by said glow rod portion, said annular flangeof said base lens being adapted to fit into the bulb end of theflashlight casing, with the peripheral portion of said flangefunctioning to mount the lens within the flashlight casing and anannular portion of said flange betweenvsaid peripheral portion andexterior surface of said glow rod portion being located within the areaof the light reflector of the flashlight casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,288,093 Kafienberger et al. June 30, 1942 2,336,136 Thomsonet a1. Dec. 7, 1943 2,340,530 Hefner Feb.- 1, 1944 2,431,091 Thomas Nov.1.8-, 1 947 -2',43T4,741 Hefner et al. Jan. 20, 1948

